Improved railway-track clearer



R. ,R. TAYLOR;

, I Railroad Track-Clearer.-

75- Patented June 14, I870.

- I 1 iti 'nitndgtatez @atwt (diiii ROBERT, R. TAYIQOR, onitnanme, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR T0 HIMSELF, Jenn :MIAH H. oom, JONATHAN HELLER, AND 0. B. BERTOLETTE.

Letters Patent No. 104,375, dated June 14,1870.

IMPROVED RAILWAY-TRACK CLEARER.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

Inorder to enableothers skilled inthe-art to make and apply my invention, I will now proceed to describe its construction and operation, reference being had to the accompanying drawing which forms a part of this specification, and. in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved trackclearer for railway-cars; p

Figure 2, a sectional view ofthe clearer; and Figure 3, an inverted plan view.

In fig. 1 the line A represents the under side of the frame o't'a car, B part of a car-wheel, and (l a portion of one of the rails of the track.

A hanger, D, is secured to and projects vertically downward from the ti'nme-of the car, directly in advanceoi' the wheel 13, and to the front of this hanger is bolted orotherwise secured a plate, F, in such a manner as to be readily detached therefrom.

()n the upper end of thetplate l and forming part of the same, isa projecting arm, F, through an opening in which passes a vertical 1 slidingrod, G, secured,

at its lower end, to the clearer H, the latter having twoinclined sides, meeting each other at a comparatively sharp front edge, a, the rear of the clearer being arranged to slide uponguides, c c, of the hanger D.

A spiral spring, at, on the rod G intervenes between the arm 1" and the top of the clearer H, and has a constant tendency to depress the latter.

The. clearer. however, isrnaintained at a proper height above the rail 0 by a wheel, f, which is arranged to turn on a spindle within the clearer, and which projects a short distance below the lower edge of the latter, and bears upon the'rail. (See fig. 2.)

There is-also within the clearer, and behind the wheel f; a thin metal strip, 1', which bears upon the rail, and scrapes away whatever we orsnow may be left by the clearer, the strip having sufificient'spring to yield and pass over slight permanent obstructions.

It will be observed, too, that the lower edge of the clearer is slightly curved upward at the front end, so that it may ride over slight obstruct-ions, the spring (Z permitting the clearer to rise vertically .to a limited extent.

The above-described clearer is intended to be placed in advance of each of thefront wheels of a car, but only when required for use, as it can, when not needed, be readily detached from its hanger D.

The form of the clearer may be modified without departing from my invention; for instance, instead of being V-shaped, as shown in the drawing, so as to throw the snow on both sides of the rail, the ole may be of such a form as to push all of the sno the outside of the track.

I claim as my invc-ntion, and desire to secure by Letters Patent- A clearer, H, containing a wheel, f, and connected to a car so as to have a vertical movement independ ent of the latter, in combination with the spring (I, or

its equivalent, for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

R 1%. TAYLOR.

Witnesses: I

Jone: WHITE, Louis BoswnnL. 

